Togainu no Chi: Akira and the Incubus
by Rollingsushi
Summary: What Akira thought to be a normal school year quickly turns into something dangerous and chaotic. He is thrust into a chain of events which will forever change the way his life runs. Is the man in his dreams there to help him... or to kill him?
1. Spring Fever

**Akira and the Incubus: Spring fever**

* * *

It was the beginning of Spring, the season when love starts to stir in the hearts of horny teenagers. Love came in various forms, whether it be love between childhood friends, forbidden love, incestuous love – or whatever twisted form of love the Japanese come up with – love was everywhere and people found that it was most easily expressed during Spring. Perhaps this is what people meant by 'spring fever'…

_Ahhh-CHOOO!_

However, to those unlucky ones whose allergies blossomed beautifully during this season, Spring was their worst nightmare.

"Fuck." Akira took out a used tissue and started rubbing his nose with it. No matter how many clean tissues he brought with him to school, there was no end to his hayfever. Some say that Spring was their favourite season but Akira hated it with a raging passion.

"Akira?" Keisuke tilted his head to get a better view of his friend's face which was hidden behind those large grey bangs of his. "Are you sure you're alright? We can go to the infirmary if you're feeling sick."

"I'm fine," he sternly replied, "it's just my allergies acting up. And besides, if we went down now they'd catch us skipping classes."

"Oh, right. Sorry."

Skipping classes to go to the roof had become a tradition since the beginning of the semester. It wasn't that they didn't like their subjects or anything, but their homeroom teacher was a real asshole. It was as if he arrived to school every morning with a stick shoved up his ass. Admittedly, though he was quite knowledgeable, he treated everyone else like trash and ridiculed the whole class whenever he got the chance to… which was often. It was no wonder half the class skipped school whenever he was their teacher for the day.

_Ahhh-CHOOOO!_

"Fucking cows!" Akira wiped his nose once again, peering enviously at his friend. "Why am I the only one who has to put up with this bullshit? Damnit, I should've just stayed home."

"But our attendance rate is dangerously low right now. We should probably go to our next class."

Akira groaned before standing up. Keisuke followed suit but he went for the exit door whilst his friend went the opposite direction. "Where are you going? Aren't we heading back to class?" When he didn't get a reply, he quickly scurried to where Akira was standing – on the edge of the roof. There was something unsettling about Akira's expression when he gazed down from where they were. Sure, there was a fence which prevented anyone from falling but… "Hey…you're not thinking about what I think you're thinking about…right?"

"What?"

"You still have a whole life ahead of you!"

"What the fuck? …I'm not going to jump off. Who do you think I am?"

"N-no, I didn't mean that. Well I did b-but…" his sudden stumble for words caused him to look away, embarrassed. "Are you angry?"

"Never mind about that. Look over there." Akira gestured with his head towards the direction he was looking at. Keisuke approached the fence and looked down below but he didn't find anything remotely interesting to look at. Oh, except for that shiny, black limousine parked in front of the school.

"Whoa, look at the size of that car! Why is it here? Is there a famous person here? Gackt?"

_Ugh. Keisuke you fan boy._

"The owner of the limo's probably rich. He's most likely a prick though."

"What if it's a girl?"

"A whore. With more plastic on her face than a gundam model." Akira, having lost interest already, turned around and headed for the exit.

"Oh, are we going to go see them?"

"See who?"

"The celebrity…?" Akira turned to face him momentarily and shrugged. To Keisuke, who was used to his friend's stone-cold attitude, the shrug meant a yes. Usually.

"I don't care. Whatever you want."

"Don't you want to go see as well?"

"No. I need to go back down to take a piss." Before Keisuke could say another word, Akira had already opened the door and left him behind.

* * *

The hallway was empty, and it was quiet enough for Akira and Keisuke to hear the voice of their teacher – who was stationed in the classroom at the other end of the hall – and from the tone of his voice, it was obvious that someone tried to pull the stick out of his ass but only succeeded in pushing it deeper inside the dark recesses of – yeah.

"You dumbasses think you're all high and mighty but you're only going to be failures when you graduate with shitty grades such as yours. And don't get me started about some of you lecherous youngsters – always trying to get into each others pants nowadays. Well, guess what? In _my_ class I want none of that bullshit. Now take a chastity belt and siddown!"

_Poor bastards… should've just stayed home._

Akira decided to take a detour to prevent getting caught. He really didn't want to see his teacher. One look of his crooked buck teeth and unorthodox hair would send anyone running. When he walked down the stairs however, Keisuke stopped him midway and pointed. "Look Akira! It must be him." The grey-head merely looked up with nonchalance. "Wow, he looks rich!"

"He looks like a fag."

The man was easily distinguishable because of his ridiculous attire. He was wearing a white tuxedo and covered himself with a mauve-coloured fluffy fox – oh, no wait. It was a scarf. His blonde hair sprouted from his head like a frayed broom, and if that wasn't enough to make fun of, he also sported a funny-looking mask. He was either going to a masquerade or a fashion show – in which case, he would lose if he competed.

Coincidentally the tycoon turned his head and met eyes with Akira's. An unnerving feeling crawled along his spine when the man's gaze bore into his.

_He's looking at me as if I murdered his dog or something._

At first glance, the man didn't seem all that threatening because he looked like a poof but the glare he gave Akira was deadly. Maybe it was hate at first sight. Maybe he was jealous of Akira's dashing good looks but there was without doubt hostility behind those eyes of his. Thankfully, Keisuke broke the tension before anything could get out of hand.

"Are you lost mister? You don't work here right?"

The stranger blinked a few times as if he was recovering from a trance and averted his gaze towards the brunette. He acted as if he was a completely different person when he spoke to Keisuke. "Oho, yes you are most certainly correct. I am currently lost and require the help of some diligent, hard-working students."

_Did I just subconsciously roll my eyes? Huh._

"I'll help you!" Keisuke replied without hesitation. Akira had no idea why his friend was so eager to help this loon. Maybe he thought he could get some kind of merit from helping a rich guy. Regardless, Akira wasn't interested so he started to walk away but the masked man stopped him.

"Oh, oh wait! Wait I say! You there, the grey-haired one!" There was something about the blonde's voice that made it sound as if he ate a clown who was trying to imitate a dying cat. "You look like an interesting fella! Perhaps you can help me with my slight dilemma?"

Akira glanced at Keisuke from the corner of his eye and he could see clearly that the masked-man's dismissive attitude towards the brunette hurt him. "Nah, just ask this guy here. I have to go take a piss."

"But you look like a more reliable man!"

"Eh?" Keisuke frowned but even he couldn't help but agree to the fact that Akira was more reliable than he was.

"…Fine. What do you want?"

"Oh, impatient are we? What about introductions first? Don't you want to know the identity of this fine-looking man?" The masked man stood reverently and waited for someone to praise him. Too bad Akira didn't care who the guy was so he attempted to walk off once more but inevitably was interrupted again. "Wait, wait! Alright, alright. Where can I find the teacher, Motomi?"

"Motomi? I don't know. Why?"

"Why, we used to be best friends! And I wanted to give him a greeting before I return to my humble mansion."

"Yeah…well go ask for him at the front office. Come on Keisuke. Let's head back to class."

"A-Akira, class is the other w-"

"Shut up and walk." _I don't want to be near this nut case any longer._ Akira walked as fast as he could and turned the corner, out of the masked man's sights. He didn't dare look back lest the man was following them but he was pretty sure he wasn't. At last he slowed down so that Keisuke could catch up with him.

"H-hey, wasn't that kinda rude?"

"What, him or me?"

"Err, never mind." There was a moment's pause before he spoke again. "Y'know, Akira. The man looked as if he knew you. Are you not telling me something? You don't have to be embarrassed to be related to such a wealthy guy."

"Why, jealous? He's my uncle."

"What? R-really?"

"No."

"…Oh, haha…"

_That wasn't really meant to be funny but whatever._ "I don't know who he is but I have a hunch that he knows who I am. For all I know, maybe he _is_ my uncle. But if that were the case I think I'd rather go die in a ditch."

"He didn't seem all that bad…"

"…Are you fucking blind? He looked like a circus reject.

"But he's rich!" The brunette's eyes seemed to sparkle as he said that. Maybe Keisuke was shallower than he thought.

"Anyway, my bladder's gonna explode if I don't go now. Laters."

"W-wait, I'm coming with you!"

* * *

"Oh, hey Arbitro. I wasn't expecting you so soon." Motomi left his files on his desk and stood up, fixing his tie as he did. He grabbed the cigarette packet inside the drawer and weaved his way through the teacher's lounge towards his visitor.

"I can't believe you still smoke! It's no wonder your skin is so dark and dry." The two of them proceeded to walk out the hall and into the school yard where nobody could see them. "You should quit while you still can before you get lung cancer and die."

"Says the person who runs a drug syndicate." Motomi took out a lighter from his pocket and started to light the cigarette when he arrived outside. "So how's life? Got anymore of those nude statues you love?"

"Don't call them nude statues! They are works of art!" Arbitro shook his head fervently and scowled. "I am not here to talk about that! How's the plan coming along? Did you get the book yet?"

Motomi glanced at him casually before taking another puff of his cancer stick. "Man, it's always all business with you and no rainbows and puppies. You know I wouldn't have agreed to help you out if it wasn't for the fact that we used to be colleagues."

"Yes, yes but what about the fact that the people's lives are at stake if we do not act now! Do you have the book!"

"I do."

"Then hurry up and hand it over!" Motomi reached into his pockets and pulled out a small black book. It was tattered and clearly worn out. The pages were wrinkled and looked like they'd been pissed on. He was about to hand it over to the eccentric man but he pulled away at the last second. "What do you think you're doing?"

"How do I know you're telling the truth? …Are you sure the boy's possessed?"

"Do you truly doubt my ability? Don't you feel the same vibe when you see him?"

"Well, I can feel something but I'm not sure about entrusting you with this book. Though…I guess it's better to be safe than sorry so if you say the boy's possessed..." Motomi handed the little book to him. "I swear if you're having me on then-"

"No, no! Trust me on this! I know what I'm doing!"

"Alright. I'm going back inside then. I still have to finish writing up some tests." The unshaven man dropped the cigarette and extinguished it with his foot. "I'll see you later."

"Yes, farewell." After he was sure Motomi went back inside, Arbitro scampered off quickly and returned to his limousine which was waiting for him outside the school gates. He was clutching the little book tightly in his hands as if it was a sacred bible. The front door of the car opened and a well-dressed man with silver-white hair came out. His eyes were covered with a black cloth and he uttered no words. He bowed once to his master before opening the door and letting him inside the car. "Kau, drive me back to the mansion. I need to prepare for the ritual immediately."

* * *

A/N: Wrote this in one setting. I've always wanted to write an incubus-based story so what better series to use than Togainu? Anyway, I still have exams so until I get the time and motivation to write again, I shall. Thanks for supporting my other TnC fics btw guys. And yes, I'll be continuing them somehow…

Bonus points for those who know Akira's and Keisuke's teacher's name. And I'll hand out cyber cookies for those who know where 'take a chastity belt and siddown' comes from.

Oh yeah, and tell me what you guys think of the anime. It was a little disappointing for me but hey, don't let me influence your views =)


	2. Nightmare in the World of Dreams

**Chapter Two: Nightmare in the World of Dreams**

Floating…that's what Akira was doing. His body was numbed by an unfamiliar sense of tranquility and his senses seemed to dull by the second. Like a wave lost in sea, his mind drifted towards the realm of unconsciousness. The last thing he remembered doing was closing his eyes, so clearly he was dreaming right now. But normally when a person dreams, they shouldn't be conscious of doing so, however Akira was well aware that he was entering Dreamland…and not the one from the Kirby games.

"Uh…what the fuck?" Akira's eye involuntarily twitched when an image of a goat sitting on a toilet floated past him. _Did I just see that? Wait…aren't I inside my own mind right now? _

_ "…"_

Before he could even find an adequate explanation for that big-lipped alligator momentAkira was suddenly hauled away from the darkness and plunged into a hot bath. He immediately found himself swimming towards the surface and into the light…

"Hah!" He gasped for air before gasping in shock. "What the-?"

"Good evening Master and welcome to our establishment!"

Akira could do nothing but gape. Five, no…six girls possessing bodies that would make Pamela Anderson weep were standing before him in an arrangement similar to how bowling pins were set up, with the shorter girls in front. They all came in assorted clothes – or lack thereof – and sported some of the hottest bodies any girl could ever wish to obtain. Akira thought he'd never get to witness models but here they were in the spa with him and–

_Wait, what._

"What is this place?" _Why am I in a spa?_ But instead of an answer, the chicks all gathered into the steamy water with him, giggling like a couple of broken records. "Wh-what do think you're all doing?" Akira was genuinely freaking out. Either he had somehow accidentally fallen into someone else's dream or he had smoked some seriously strong shit.

A pale-skinned brunette made the first move and attempted to hang her arm onto Akira's bare shoulder but he recoiled away from her instinctively. The water was hotter than he had originally felt which was strange because logically he shouldn't be feeling anything at all since he was dreaming... Or was this really a dream?

_It feels too damn real to be one!_

"What's wrong, Master? Don't you want to be serviced?"

_Huh? Serviced? Bartender service? Hotel service? _ "No. I don't want any of that." He glared at them with hopes of threatening them. "Which one of you brought me here?"

"Guess, tee hee!" Their giggling was disturbingly synchronized and before Akira could realize it, one of the more voluptuous females wrapped her arms around his and pushed herself against him. He flinched violently at the physical touch and struggled to pull away from the flaunty girl who was blatantly trying to get his attention by rubbing her chest against his skin. Soon, the others started to gather around him and attempted to do the same.

Normally, this would be any guy's most-wanted wet dream. Who wouldn't want to have six hot chicks owning chests the size of Mt Fuji rubbing all over you? Who wouldn't want to be half-naked in a spa with girls wearing some of the skimpiest bikinis ever made? Well, Akira sure as hell didn't.

_God, with outfits like theirs, they might as well wear nothing!_ Akira wished he hadn't inwardly made that comment because right after he did, the blonde one clinging onto his arm began to slide her fingers under the brim of her bikini and slowly exposed more of her body. Unable to handle anymore of it, Akira wrenched away from the sluts – well, what else could they be – and headed the opposite direction.

"Don't touch me, woman. If this is someone's idea of a sick joke then I'm gonna-"

"Oooh, he's getting serious." When Akira noticed that they were going to do something indecent again, he turned his whole body around and started to flee.

And that's when he saw him.

Another man was stationed at the other end of the spa, his arms resting on the rim of the spa as if he owned the place. He had striking black hair, the colour of night, and from a distance Akira could recognize his thin, rouge lips which had curved to a smile – no, not a smile. There was something too malicious about it to be called a smile. The man appeared to be watching him and the girls but Akira couldn't really tell since his eyes were hidden behind those black bangs of his.

_There's something about that guy…he's just watching us…_

"Come on, what are you staring at? Come have some fun with us." The girls proceeded to pull him away but Akira maintained his position and continued glaring at the man – the _spectator_ of the whole event.

"Hey! You over there!" Akira called out to him but the other man remained unfazed. Or maybe he was ignoring him. "Hey!"

"What are you yelling for? You can choose any one of us!"

_Can't they see him?_ "I wasn't talking to you dumb bitches. I was talking to him." At that moment, the man's sinister smirk disappeared. When he lifted his head, the girls that had once surrounded Akira had vanished into thin air, leaving a trail of smoke behind.

"What the fuck?" The grey-haired teen became startled and slipped but instead of falling, something had supported him from the front – somebody's outstretched hand.

"You can see me." The man's voice was so deep that it seemed to have created ripples in the water. "My powers must be weaker than I thought…"

"Wha-?" Akira shoved the man away from him but he only succeeded in losing his balance. "Who the hell are you and where have you taken me?"

"I haven't taken you anywhere. You're dreaming."

"Dreaming? Yeah right. If I was dreaming right now, I wouldn't be talking to you like this, you sick bastard."

"Sick bastard? Well, aren't you a feisty dog. Why don't you sit for me?" The last thing Akira saw was the man's blood-red lips before his face was plunged into the water – water that had become so icy-cold it would've caused his face to shatter. He struggled desperately to wrench the man's hand off his hair but his efforts deemed fruitless. When he was out of breath he was given a brief reprieve from the man, and Akira instinctively sought for air when he was released. "Cooled off yet?"

_You asshole!_ But Akira didn't get a chance to convey his hate because he was too busy spluttering water and regaining his breath. His face was cold enough to break off, yet the fire in his throat burned its way through his body. It wasn't long until his whole body was cold all over though, and he started to wonder why. A blinding white light was all he could see when he opened his eyes. When his vision slowly re-adjusted itself, Akira was taken aback.

"The South Pole?"

"Actually, it's the North Pole but let's not get too technical shall we?"

Ignoring the man's pointless correction, Akira made another quick scan of the area. _Shit, why am I even here? How the hell did I even get here?_ The crystal-blue water, the colossal ice bergs, the fish swimming casually around him – everything seemed too real to _be _real. He could see everything clearly and he could feel everything as if it was there – the arctic winds blowing in his face, the water that was about to freeze his blood – was this normal to experience in a dream?

_Fuck no. _

And yet here he was in the middle of nowhere, floating on the water like a piece of lost debris with a man he'd never seen before. Maybe he died and went to Hell – a Hell that was frozen over as a result of too many people saying 'when hell freezes over.'

Summoning up his courage, Akira confronted the man about everything that was happening to him right now. He was confident this whole experience was the man's doing. Even a blind man would be able to see how suspicious the guy was.

"Who the fuck are you and where have you taken me?"

The man simply glanced over Akira once before looking away nonchalantly. "I don't feel like answering you."

_What a prick!_ The gray-haired teen readied his fist and launched it towards the man but doing so had caused the water to suddenly swerve violently. However, before Akira was caught off-balanced, something had wrapped around his neck and before he knew it he was taken ashore and dumped at the base of an ice pillar, like overdue trash.

"Pityful."

Akira opened his eyes again to find his predator looming over him with eyes so bloodthirsty it sent his heart pounding with fear. Though the man was completely naked from head to toe, he had the aura of a dozen hungry beasts waiting for the perfect chance to devour his prey. His appearance should've been like a complete joke to Akira but he was too overwhelmed by the whole situation to be a jerk about it.

The man possessed an unbelievably perfect body – the kind any super model would boast about. His muscles were smooth and so well-defined that even Akira found it hard to resist reaching forward and touching them. The teen's eyes involuntarily trailed down to the other's groin area which was evidently darker and hidden in the shadow between his thighs. He was deathly-pale but it made him even more beautiful when he wore his inhumanly red eyes and his thin red lips like accessories on his face.

Akira flinched from surprise when the man leaned forward, his hand resting on the base of his neck as if he was prepared to strangle his victim to death if he were to retaliate.

"Are you going to kill me?"

"No. I don't have the power to do that."

"W-what are you?" _Not human, that's for sure._

The man uttered a soft chuckle. "What do you think I am?"

_Honestly, I don't fucking know._ Akira shook his head to indicate he had no clue. "You're probably just a…figment of my dream, something I made up. You're not real. None of this is."

A warm sensation spread throughout Akira's body when the man's breath reached his skin. He could literally feel the heat radiating from the other when he leaned in closer, but how was it that he wasn't affected from the cold? Regardless, the teen knew his body desired that heat and he found himself unwilling to move away. It wasn't long until he noticed that his body was soon devoid of energy and willpower.

Akira's body squirmed when he felt something cold and wet touch his face. The naked man had licked his face, probably to piss him off, but the teenager had no strength to move away, let alone talk. And he wanted so badly to snap at the guy. _This creepy guy…I just want to run. If this is my dream, I should be able to run. Why…why can't I move?_

"Sometimes," the man whispered into his ear, "Sometimes the mind makes it all real."

"This isn't...isn't real."

"Isn't real? Well then, let's see how real we can make this." Warm lips met with Akira's. They were soft and gentle at first but the longer they lingered there, the hotter his lips burned and it soon became almost unbearable for the teenager. He needed something wet and cold to distract him from the burning sensation, and he found it when the other man's tongue slipped its way into his mouth.

Akira had never kissed before, except for an accidental one with a girl in 7th Grade – and several indirect kisses with Keisuke – but he could tell that the man was an experienced kisser because he was actually enjoying what the man was doing to him with his mouth and tongue. It was as if Akira was under a spell – under a demon's spell.

Their tongues were thoroughly rubbing against each other and their mouths were fighting desperately for a better taste of the other. Akira thought it was weird that he would know how to kiss like that but he suspected that the man was behind it all. It was sickening to think about but he'd be lying if he said he didn't enjoy it.

He suddenly felt seething heat gather between his thighs – his bare thighs – and in the position that he was currently in, it was like an open invitation for the other man to invade his most private package. _Shit! When did I lose that towel? Was it when I was in the water?_

The kiss seemed to last for an eternity until the man broke away, sighing with contentment. "That was the most wonderful kiss I've had in aeons. Your pent-up sexual energies could last me for weeks without needing to feed again." He quickly leaned in for another deep kiss; his tongue weaving into Akira's willing mouth again. The teenager briefly glanced away from his kisser and he could see – and feel – the ice melting away in the background, as if Hell was about to rise again. The skies glowed red – or was it pink? – and everything seemed to be clouded in a light fog. He closed his eyes again and concentrated on the movement of the other's tongue again.

Akira's hand was subconsciously feeling its way up the man's arm and shoulders. His muscles were undeniably there and they were no illusion. His fingers eventually found their way into his raven-black hair and they seemed to be searching…searching for something, but even Akira himself had no idea what.

And then he felt them. Something hard protruding out of the man's head. Something which indicated that Akira wasn't kissing a human.

"Stop!" Akira regained control of his body and forcefully shoved the man away from him. _Horns? Horns like…a demon._ If this wasn't a dream, he would've gagged at the thought of kissing a monster. "I can't believe I fucking did that."

As he was caught off-guard, the man had momentarily lost control and revealed himself for what he really was – a black-winged demon. Sure, he still _looked_ like a human but he was merely the devil in disguise.

From afar, Akira could see the demon still had a look of utter disbelief but he had regained his posture and grinned creepily. Moments later the demon faded out, and so did the scenery, as if it was all just an illusion – a dream. But he knew that this wasn't the end of it. The demon was out for blood – for _his_ blood – and there was no way of stopping him.

* * *

A/N: Sorry if the kiss scene was shit.

And thanks so much for all the encouragement x3 ~ sorry for late updates though. It's cause I really, REALLY struggle when I write intimate scenes nowadays. But I don't want the scenes to be crap so I kinda take my time and think it through.

And gosh, the anime is progressing very quickly – it's as fast as that snail over there by the donkey.

Now, concerning the fic, I'm planning to write some filler chapters later on that will involve some 'interesting' dream sequences….buuuuut I need some ideas. That's why I'm asking you guys out there – **the readers** – to help contribute some ideas for these dream sequences. I'm talking about the situations Akira could get into, what could happen etc etc; and if I like what your idea leads to, I'll write it up.

-snicker- this is kinda like a competition :O ~ I'm gonna be looking for originality and creativity but I will not write about things that are way waaay too obscure (for example: Akira humping that donkey over there…by the snail.) If your idea gets through, you'll be credited of course and you'd have my sincere gratitude. And you'll get to see it written up (in my style unfortunately)


	3. Makai

Akira and the Incubus

Chapter 3-Part 1: Makai

_Three days ago…_

In the dark world of Makai, demons roamed the endless abyss, forever searching for a meaning to their eternally damned lives. Humans had always assumed that demons only existed to bring evil into their world. Though this was true for the most part, demons were actually powerless in the human world unless they made pacts with the humans, or were summoned by them to do their bidding. They were not allowed to influence mortal lives, unless their existence was tied with a human's. For example: if a mortal summoned a demon to kill someone, then it would technically be the human's responsibility for the death and not the demon's. When some dared to defy this rule, they had to be prepared to face the dire consequences and the ultimate penalty: Death.

So who was the almighty entity who had the absolute right to pass these law and rule over Makai? Well, the all-powerful King of Makai of course. In that world, technically anyone could become the next King but if they wanted to, they had to kill the current King and any heirs to the throne. As long as that demon had the wisdom, the strength and the charisma to lead, they could become the next King.

Many demons sought to take the throne. It wasn't really a difficult task – all you had to do was be ambitious enough. In truth, many demons lacked the willpower to go for the throne. A majority of them were far too lethargic and carefree to crave that position of almighty ruler. Sure, you may have the highest authority and such when you're King but you also had to make sure nobody did anything wrong and you had to remember the names and species of _all_ your subjects. It was just far too much trouble for the demons of Makai. All they wanted to do was wait for the day they would be called into the human world, for it was the only time they could experience freedom.

There was a shimmer of light in the sky – the sign of a Call. The demons wandering the wastelands simultaneously looked up and their eyes lit up with hope – hope that they were the ones who would be able to answer the Call and acquire freedom. There was no particular rule in Makai which determined who was and wasn't allowed to answer. Theoretically, any of the demons could answer it and thus be granted temporary freedom, but they had to fight to claim the rights.

Thankfully, most of the demons were really stupid and they'd get each other killed before anyone could answer the Call. For those that were clever, they'd stand by and watch the others kill each other before taking the Call.

"What are you looking at, wench?" A pointy-eared demon glared at the one across from him – a female demon with hair the colour of blood. "I haven't tasted freedom in centuries. Go take a hike, bitch!"

"Well, obviously it's because no one wants your services." She scowled distastefully. "Damn, you're uglier than a rotting mongrel. Why don't you go die in a ditch somewhere and save yourself the embarrassment?"

"Fucking bitch! Why don't you suck on this, whore!" He lunged himself towards the demoness and thus the bitch fight began. The other demons that had been watching joined in the brawl as well, clawing and biting whatever they could see. It was such a pitiful and shameful sight. Have demons really degraded into this lowly bunch?

_Pathetic._

The demon watching the whole event unfold kneeled stealthily behind the large skeletal mound. He couldn't decide whether to cry from the demons' utter stupidity or to laugh at it. Regardless, this was his chance to answer the Call and be free. He wanted to be relieved from this hell hole. It was so damned boring here and his powers were shrivelling up to nothingness due to the lack of contact he's been having. He needed to get out and fast.

He stood up and stretched his black wings, flexing them as he prepared to fly into the shimmering light in the sky. The other demons were busy being foolish idiots so it was the perfect chance to mosey out. He launched himself into the air when they were distracted.

"Hey! What the hell!" The demoness pointed into the sky at the figure that was about to answer the Call. "You coward! Get back here!"

"Fuck! That asshole's gonna take it! Goddamn snitch! Get him!"

"Wait." One of the demons sporting a scar across his face put his hand in the air to shut everyone up. "It's okay, I know the guy. He'll come waltzing back in no time."

"The hell you talking about?"

"The human that's summoning us ain't gonna take him in. He's Shiki, that useless motherfucking dumbass that tried to take the throne for himself. And his powers are pretty useless so I doubt whoever's calling us would want him. He'll just be thrown back down here like yesterday's garbage."

"Let's kill the bastard when he comes back then." The demoness pulled back her blood-red hair and scowled. "I hate those who show me no respect. How dare he screw with us."

Shiki snickered when their voices reached him. What a laughable bunch of foolishly foolish fools. When he regained his powers, he was going to whip them a new ass hole. They'd be wasting their time waiting for him to come back because he wasn't going to be back.

No…he was going to be free. Free from tyranny in Makai, and free from human dominance. He was going to stay in the human world _permanently_.

* * *

A/N: Short chapter, i know. Happy New Years :]


	4. Chapter 4

**Akira and the Incubus**

**Chapter 3 – Part 2: The Pact**

**######**

The demon's nose twitched when he sensed a foul smell of heavy perfume and citric acid in the air. Foul it may be, Shiki knew it was the smell of freedom - even if it was only temporary. When his eyes adjusted to the brightness of the vicinity, he took a quick glance at the interior of his Caller's home. From the look of things, it would be wise to assume that the person was rich. Golden frames adorned the walls, and various marble statues – many of which were questionable – aligned themselves in the hall as if to guide guests towards the master room. One particular statue stood out – a goat sitting on a toilet - and it was creepy enough to send chills up Shiki's spine. There were pretty trinkets and ornaments everywhere but they held no value to the demon. The carpets were red, so red that it was almost like everything was swimming in a pool of blood, and in the middle of it where Shiki was standing was a white ring – a ring of salt. There were also several other strange tools and objects lying on the floor but they were unidentifiable.

Before the demon could become suspicious, he heard a startling voice from behind.

"Wonderful! Fabulous! Excellent! The spell worked wonders!"

Shiki stood up from his crouched position and turned around, only to find a blonde masked man standing before him, his arms outstretched in glory. He was clad in white and carried a dead animal or something – Shiki didn't know what – around his shoulders. There was faint makeup on the man's face and the pungent smell of perfume was coming from him. Hoo…he hadn't seen anyone so overdressed in a long time. All the demons in Makai – the ones who took human form – barely wore anything. Sometimes it was just scraps of rags dangling off their bodies but most of the time it was nothing. It wasn't as if demons had anything to be ashamed of though so no one really cared.

"I am Arbitro, owner of this magnificent manor, and I have summoned you because I have need of your abilities. Will you help me?" The eccentric man bowed his head, his silky hair falling over his mask as he did. Shiki had opened his mouth to answer but no words could come out. "Oh dear, I forgot to remove the Siren's Chord." Arbitro picked something up from the floor and put it into his pocket. "Now you can speak."

"Overly cautious are we?" Shiki mused, a bit irritated to find that the strange man had complete control over him. "No need to be so paranoid. We demons cannot directly influence human lives unless told to do so by another human."

"It is merely to secure my safety. I am not so weak that I'd be afraid of demons."

Shiki's eye involuntarily twitched. "Of course not." Something about the flamboyant man's arrogance annoyed Shiki but he couldn't afford to be on the man's bad side. Arbitro was his only ticket to freedom and damn it to hell he was going to get it no matter what it took.

"Well? Won't you grace me with your name, dear demon?"

Shiki mentally shuddered. "I am called Shiki, a demon of …incredible power." He lied. There was no way he was going to tell the truth to Arbitro. He may have once been a powerful demon but that was a long time ago. Now, he was a lesser demon and his powers were near useless. He had degraded from being a noble demon to a lowly incubus. It was humiliating but Shiki had long passed that stage of grief. Now he sought freedom from Makai and strived for an existence worth living for. But before all of that, Shiki wanted revenge – revenge against the Makaien King for stripping him of his powers and turning him into the scum that he was in the demon world.

"Oh ho? Incredible power?"

"Indeed. You were lucky that I was the one to answer your call. If it were any other demon, you would be sorely disappointed as many of them are...scum, and do not deserve to be blessed with your presence."

"I agree entirely. You are quite a handsome piece. No low-ranking demon could be as beautiful as you are." Shiki paused a little before smiling at Arbitro's flirtatious comment. He had his sights on the demon's 'package' before looking up again. "Tell me, are you a noble demon?"

"Why, aren't you the intelligible one. I am indeed. I could even become King if I wanted to."

"Truly?" Arbitro beamed, no doubt believing that he hit the jack-pot. "Then you should be able to handle my request with complete ease."

"And what is it you wish from me, my liege?"

"There is someone I wish for you to eliminate. He is an eyesore to me and perhaps a threat to all of us living in Toshima. The sooner he goes, the better for everyone."

"Do you want me to drive him away from Toshima then? I can do that quite easily…"

"No, that wouldn't be nearly enough. I want you to kill him."

Shiki's smile fell. _Damn. Damn it to hell._ There were many things that Shiki could do that other demons could not. However killing somebody wasn't one of them. He couldn't kill. As much as he would like to have the ability to kill, his powers were ill-suited to do it. The closest to killing he could ever come to is to do it via Dreamland but that wasn't what Arbitro wanted.

_Damnit, I will not go back to that dreaded place. I will not!_

"I…I apologize but…" the demon hesitated to speak his next words, "my powers lie in the world of dreams. I cannot kill any mortal with my abilities."

"Wh-WHAT?" Arbitro exclaimed in shock. "B-but then what was all that talk about you being str-"

"Wait!" Shiki stopped him rather too abruptly. He thought it'd appear too suspicious so he repeated it again in a softer tone. "Wait. Do not be so hasty. Let me finish."

"O-Oh? Do you have some secret weapon? Something even better? What is it? Tell me!"

"Of course," but the truth was that Shiki had nothing. There was no secret weapon, no secret power. All he had were illusions, and they certainly wouldn't be able to kill a human.

_Think, think! I cannot be sent back empty-handed! _

He dreaded the idea of going back. He hated that dull, deserted wasteland that was his home. There was no way he was going back there after just a few minutes of freedom. He needed to convince Arbitro to let him stay.

"Out with it, demon! Or I will send you back! I have no need for a useless demon who cannot even kill a man-"

And then an idea struck Shiki. It was risky and not completely fail-proof but it was better than nothing. He thought this man, Arbitro, was easy to manipulate and so attempted to influence his ego.

"I may not be able to kill him but I can weaken him. If you allow it, I can drain him of his strength and soul until he is all but a crippled man. And then when the right time comes, you, my liege, can deal the final blow and claim victory for yourself."

Truth be told, Shiki was certain his words would mean nothing to Arbitro. There was no logic to what he said – it was safer to let a demon do the dirty work. Arbitro probably didn't want to stain his hands with blood. There was no need for him to do so and risk his life at the same time. All he needed to do was sit back, blackmail the demon and wait for results…

Shiki closed his eyes in despair, waiting for this obnoxious fruitcake to send him back – back to the hell that he belonged in. And then he heard something incredible.

"F-fantastic! A superb idea! Why hadn't I thought of that!" Arbitro's eyes shone with excitement. "If I were to deal the final blow to him then-" his eyes wavered as if he was contemplating something and he began pacing. He started to mumble incoherently but Shiki didn't give a rat's ass what the pansy was thinking. Arbitro agreed with his idea and now is in need of Shiki's powers. That's all that mattered. The blonde tycoon spun around to meet eyes with the demon. "Perhaps we have indeed come to an agreement. You can weaken him enough for me to take credit for his kill. Oh, why hadn't I thought about this beforehand? Oh, Arbitro you are a genius!" He started to ramble to himself but Shiki could only catch a few words. Something about a woman and ambitions. Pity he wasn't a mind-reading demon. Well, unless he dived into the man's dreams, but there was no way in this lifetime that he would dive into this madman's dreams. Who knew what kind of bizarre things he'd see.

"So you will agree to make a pact with me?" Shiki asked patiently, hardly able to contain his anticipation for his long-awaited freedom. "What will it be, my liege?"

Arbitro met the demon's stare with a malicious smile. "Of course."


End file.
